Portable paddle ball kit



Dec. 9, 1952 M TE 2,621,046

PORTABLE PADDLE BALL KIT Filed May 12, 1950 INVENTOR ROBERT LAMOUNETTE wkjl k ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to games, and more particularly to the type played with a ball and paddles or the like.

The invention may be practiced either indoors or outdoors by one or more participants and is particularly adapted for use on a smooth beach or lawn or on any relatively flat surface as will hereinafter more specifically appear.

A prime disadvantage heretofore of games of the" nature where" a ball is struck with a paddle, or the like, has been that unless great skill and accuracy are exercised, it is frequently necessary to pursue" the ball as it bounds away from the playing confines, and another disadvanta e has been the need for a minimum of two participants, so that one alone was denied the entertainment of the game.

The present invention contemplates eliminating the foregoing disadvantages by providing a game contained within a portable kit com rising a ball attached to the kit by a relatively long length of rubber band or similar resilient material. A pair of paddles which defines two walls of the kit is used by the player or players to volley the ball which because of the resilient attachment is compelled to return towards the kit.

One of the objects of the present invention therefore is to provide a novel game which may be played indoor or outdoor by a plurality of participants or by a solitary participant.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel game played with a ball and paddles wherein the necessity of pursuing and retrieving the ball is eliminated.

Still another obiect is to provide a novel game of the aforementioned nature, self contained within a portable kit formed in part by the paddles employed in the game.

Another object is to provide a game of the above indicated nature having a high entertainment value and being simple and economical to manufacture and yet rugged and durable in use and operation.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from inspection of the following specification when read with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purposes of illustration only, and is not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

The drawing is an isometric view of the kit comprising the invention with the top paddle removed.

2 walls of the kit It).

In the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts, a kit generally designated by the numeral It comprises opposite sidewalls l2, and end walls It and I6. For reasons hereinafter explained, a groove I8 is cut relatively close to both the top and bottom of the sidewalls l2 and a matching groove 20 is cut at the top and bottom of the end-wall It.

A relatively heavy block of wood or other suitable material 22 is secured in an a proved manner as by screws 24 to the sidewalls I2 and the end wall It thereby providing a strong structural brace for the kit I9. A relatively long length of elastic band or other resilient material 25 is fastened on one end to the center of the block 22 as by a staple 2E, and at the other end to a rubber ball 28.

A pair of paddles 30, only one being shown here, are adapted to be slidably received in the grooves l8 and 29 in the sidewalls l2 and the end wall it so that when the paddles 3U penetrate in the grooves up to the edge 32, then the front edge 34 of the paddles abuts the grooves 20. In this position the paddles form the top and bottom A latch 36 pivotable about the screw 38 is provided for maintaining the padd es in the grooves in the closed position of the kit I0.

A number of retractable prongs 40 attached to the interior of sidewalls l2 as by screws 42 and pivoted thereabout are disposed one in each corner of the kit Ill and may be advantageously employed to further anchor the kit in a lawn or smooth beach and thereby insure against sliding, although the weight of the kit due to the block 22 is adequate for said purpose. due to the relatively lighter weight of the ball 28.

Means are now provided in the form of a suitable handle 44 for carrying the kit I!) in a convenient manner. In the assembled position of the kit, the ball 28 and the attached elastic cord 25 are placed inside the kit adjacent to the block 22.

In operation it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that when the disassembled kit It is placed on a smooth pavement, or fiat lawn or beach, and the ball 28 is struck with the paddle 30, the ball 28 will be driven forward until the elastic limit of the cord 25 is reached and then the ball will be pulled back towards the kit or the point from which it was struck.

The game may be played by the participants standing side by side to the rear of the kit It! and alternately volleying the ball, as in the well known game of handball, until one of the players misses the ball or commits a foul. The scoring system may be adapted from the game of handball or may b modified at the discretion of the players, as will be discretionary the elements constituting a foul.

There is provided therefore a novel type of game which accomplishes the several objects of the invention and which is practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, other changes and modifications in the form and relative arrangement of parts which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A game included in a portable kit comprising a pair of sidewalls and a pair of dependent end walls, a relatively heavy block attached between said sidewalls, the top and bottom of said sidewalls and one of said endwalls being provided with matching grooves, a pair of paddles adapted to slide into said grooves, thereby defining the top and bottom walls of the kit, a resilient ball, a relatively long elastic cord, one end of said cord secured to said ball, the other end of said cord secured to said block, said cord and ball being adapted to be stored within said kit, and a plurality of prongs attached to said sidewalls and retractable within said kit adapted to be imbedded into a soft surface.

2. A game included in a portable kit comprising a pair of sidewalls and a pair of dependent end walls defining a chamber, a pair of paddles, grooves within said sidewalls for slideably receiving said paddles to close said chamber, a relatively heavy block within said chamber, a resilient ball and a resilient cord, one end of said cord being secured to said ball and the other end being secured to said block, said cord and ball being adapted to be stored within said chamber, and means retractable within said kit adapted to be imbedded in a relatively soft surface to prevent sliding of said kit.

3. In a game adapted to be played by one or more players on a relatively smooth surface and within certain confines, and the players strike a ball with hand paddles, the improvement comprising a kit adapted to be anchored to said surface, said paddles forming two walls of said kit, a ball, and. resilient means securing said ball to said kit, thereby preventing said ball upon being struck with said paddles from bounding outside said confines.

' ROBERT LAMOUNE'II'E.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 54,848 Bradley May 22, 1866 232,606 Haines Sept. 28, 1880 713,762 Haskell Nov. 18, 1902 2,243,620 Fernandez May 2'7, 1941 2,282,766 Miremont May 12, 1942 

